Spurred by the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill controversy, this post strikes an interesting point. This disaster is not the first time that communities in the Gulf have had their environment threatened by corporate practices.

Kimberly Inez McGuire recaps the environmental injustices that have plagued the Gulf region for quite some time:

For decades, industrial waste and contamination in the Gulf states have been recognized for their role in causing health problems ranging from cancer to asthma. Residents have tested positive for exposure to some of the worst reproductive toxicants—chemicals that have been linked to infertility, miscarriage, low birth weight, low sperm count, and developmental and respiratory disorders for children exposed in utero.

This is a tragic reality for long-time residents, many of whom are primarily African American and Latino. Clearly, this is a case of environmental racism, whereby the environment of low-income and/or communities of color are disproportionally targeted for the location of polluting industries that expose them to much higher levels of toxic chemicals over their more affluent (and often White) counterparts.

So, where do these harmful toxins come from? Within these communities, various forms of toxic chemicals in the environment can come from local chemical plants, power plants, toxic waste dumps, and landfills.

Again, Kimberly asserts that by and large, this problem affects the nation’s most vulnerable populations:

Nationwide, these facilities are overwhelmingly concentrated in communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities. As the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) explains: Corporate decision makers, regulatory agencies and local planning and zoning boards had learned that it was easier to site such facilities in low-income African-American or Latino communities than in primarily white, middle-to-upper-income communities.

Minority populations are at heightened risks for environmental racism due to their lack of political visibility and the money to fight the construction of toxic chemical plants. Ironically, as if to add insult to injury, companies paint a skewed picture of themselves, them being “heroes” who have come to lift them from poverty through a better future by providing employment in these communities.

Seriously? Not only does this demographic already deal with poor health outcomes, compared to middle-class whites, but now they have another problem to deal with: environmental toxins.

However, all is not lost in the battle for environmental justice in the Gulf. Due to the hard work and outspoken nature of environmentalists nation wide, the House and Senate have introduced legislation that will, according to Kimberly’s blog post:

Require companies to prove that chemicals in our everyday products are safe, protect workers from dangerous chemicals in the workplace, consider the health of vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women, and reduce the toxic chemical burdens of people who live in “hot spot” communities.

While this legislation will not completely override past injustices committed in communities like those in the Gulf, it does bring the prospect of healthier future generations by reducing their immediate exposure to hazardous toxins. If passed, this will be a significant victory for women who may have been struggling to conceive in these areas, or had children with respiratory problems. It is time the government stop worrying about the cost-effectiveness of environmental policy or the business lost and do what is ethical; there should be no price tag for good health.